Spatial indicators for systematic description of Activity Based Working and multi-space office environments

Research on effects of Workplace Design often lacks detailed description of the environments studied. It is, however, difficult to interpret and make use of research findings if the details of the research setting are not known. We acknowledge that presentations of layouts are often not possible in research due to confidentiality limitations and present a set of spatial indicators structured in a three-level Office Work Settings Classification (OWSC) to systematically describe office environments, with a particular emphasis on Activity Based Working (ABW) and multi-space offices. Indicators are based on architectural and user-centred considerations and includes space functions, work zones and room typologies. We tested the OWSC to 15 ABW and multi-space office environments and validate it through a systematic walk-through observation of 13 Sites. Results of the analyses show that the variation of Area type mix between the layouts is considerable. The proposed indicators therefore serve to better describe implementations of the same office type quantitatively, thus enabling a harmonized base for further evaluation and comparison of Space Diversity workplace indicators.